Gridworks Development Partners, a UK government-backed investor in Africa’s electricity networks, has committed to invest $50 million in Virunga Power for construction of Songa Energy’s hydropower projects in Burundi, among other projects in Malawi, Kenya and Zambia. Rural electrification is a key part of Gridworks’ mandate and an area that is gaining greater attention from governments, funders, and policy makers as the push to achieve connection targets under the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals intensifies. According to the World Bank, Zambia, Malawi and Burundi have some of the world’s lowest rural electrification rates (15%, 6% and 2%, respectively).
We have been working closely with Gridworks over the last year as they visit Burundi and our projects, visit with key Government offices, and meet the President of Burundi. Their investment in Songa Energy’s hydropower projects will have significant impact in a number of ways, including new GW-hours of renewable energy generated, new household connections made, and CO2 emissions avoided.
